Jackson Arnold said the greatest quality he improved on this offseason is his leadership skills. He showcased that and then some during Oklahoma‘s annual spring game last month.
Showcasing his arm talent to the Sooner faithful inside Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on April 20, the former consensus five-star recruit broke down his performance and what led to the offense’s high-scoring 65-58 win over the defense.
“I thought I played good,” Arnold said after the scrimmage. “Obviously, there are some plays and some throws that I want back, but overall I thought it was solid. The (offensive) line played great — just the offense as a whole looked great in my opinion. Receivers played great, running backs played great.”
During the spring game, Oklahoma’s offense was dominant under the guide of the sophomore gunslinger. It didn’t take long for Arnold to connect with junior wide receiver Deion Burks — who just transferred in to the program from Purdue — for a 64-yard touchdown during the opening possession. The duo would hook up for another big-time scoring play, this time going for 50 yards in the second quarter.
Ultimately, Arnold finished the contest 10 for 20 with 233 yards and the two aforementioned touchdowns to Burks. Burks ended the day with five catches for a whopping 174 yards to go with his two scores.
“This is my second spring only. I’ve never had time to get with a guy like that before, but Deion’s a great player,” Arnold continued. “To me, this connection came pretty fast. The first couple weeks of spring with I was throwing touchdowns to him and he was playing his butt off.”
As a redshirt junior, Burks has two years of eligibility left, and if Arnold can find the 5 foot 11, 185-pound speedy wideout on Saturday’s this fall — Oklahoma’s offense might become an issue for defenses in the SEC.
In Arnold’s case, many expect these types of numbers from the former blue-chip prospect. With Arnold’s emergence coinciding with Oklahoma’s jump to the SEC and the first season of the expanded College Football Playoff, the former to 10 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle will have to shoulder these new additions to the college football landscape as he navigates becoming a starting quarterback at a major Division I program.
He made the most of his appearances as a true freshman at OU, however. Arnold logged one start last season, throwing 45 passes for 361 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in a losing effort against a ranked Arizona squad in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Impressively, however, the first appearance of his collegiate career saw him complete all 11 of his passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in the 73-0 season-opening win against Arkansas State last season.
Overall, Arnold threw for 563 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman.
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